After many discussions with cohort groups, and repeated tweaking of the space design, plans for the Magruder Hall expansion have been finalized and ground breaking is scheduled for June.
Why June? “We wanted to wait until after Pet Day,” says Dean Susan J. Tornquist.
One big hurdle in the design process has been the continually rising cost of construction since the project was green lighted in early 2017. Recent disasters like the fires in California and the hurricanes in the south have driven up the cost of both materials and labor.
“A number of adjustments had to made to our plans due to a sharp increase in construction costs,” says Tornquist. “But we’re still doing it. Never give up!” The biggest priority in the construction timeline is getting the new lecture hall done. “We are adding sixteen more students each year for the next three years, so we need the space as soon as possible,” says Tornquist.
